Semi automatic form loading for printers

ABSTRACT

Loading of a continuous form in a printer is facilitated by means of an auxiliary feed which is activated when the printer mechanism is moved to a non-printing position for loading.

United States Patent 1 1 1 11 3,722,655 Singer 1 1 Mar. 27, 1973 [54] SEMI-AUTOMATIC FORM LOADING [56] References Cited FOR PRINTERS UNITED STATES PATENTS [75] Inventor: Frederick W. Singer, Binghamton,

NY 3,334,722 8/1967 Bernard ..197 133 R 2,139,169 12/1938 Muller ..197/l28 Asslgneei International Business Machines 3,421,612 l/l969 Pitt ..197 133 R Corporation, Armonk, 3,283,874 11/1966 Goreham ...l97/l26 R Nov. 9 3,353,649 11/1967 Templeton ..197/127 R g [211 Appl' 88006 Primary Examiner-Ernest T. Wright, Jr.

Attorney-Hanifin and .lancin and Francis V. Giolma [52] U.S. Cl ..l97/l33 [51] Int. Cl. ..B41j 15/00 57 TRA T [58] Field of Search ..197/126,133,134,127,128;

Loading of a continuous form in a printer is facilitated by means of an auxiliary feed which is activated when the printer mechanism is moved to a non-printing position for loading.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUHARZYISYZ SHEET 10F 2 lNVE/VTOR FREDERICK W. SINGER Few ATTORNEY SEMI-AUTOMATIC FORM LOADING FOR PRINTERS FIELD OF INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore, loading of printers has generally been I done by hand with the operator directing the form with one hand into a guide from below and drawing it up through from the top with the other hand until enough of the form is available to thread it into the tractors for normal feeding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally stated, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved paper loading mechanism for a printer.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an auxiliary form feed for a printer which is activated when the printer mechanism is opened for loading a new form.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary form feed which is normally inoperative when the printer is operating, and is activated by opening the printer mechanism to enable a continuousform to be fed to the normal form feeding tractors.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary set of feed 'rolls in a printer and a set of idler rolls which are operated by opening the printer mechanism, and which cooperate with the feed rolls for feeding a form to the normal form feeding tractors.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a set of continuously running feed rolls adjacent to the form path ahead of the usual form feeding tractors in a printer, and a set of idler rolls which are movable relative thereto into operating relation therewith for feeding a form to the tractors when the printer mechanism is deactivated for loading a new form.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary form feed which is automatically activated for feeding a form to the form feeding tractors when the printer mechanism is opened for loading a form and which may be manually deactivated when a sufficient amount of the form has been advanced for threading the tractors.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of a preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying-drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional showing in side elevation of a portion of a continuous form printer embodying the invention in one of its forms. v

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic showing of 'a part of theprinter of FIG. 1 illustrating the invention in further detail, and

FIG. 3 is a still further enlarged showing of a portion of the printer structure of FIG. 1 with the printer mechanism partly opened to activate the auxiliary form feed which embodies the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a schematic partly-sectioned side elevation view of a printer apparatus of one type with which the present invention may be used, and includes a Type Cartridge or Type Character Bearing Element havline. Each Type Element 11 has one or more different engraved characters on the surface thereof adjacent the print line. Plural sequences of type characters are obtained by assembling the Type Elements 11 in predetermined arrangements on the Frame 12. The Type Elements 11 are driven, preferably in the form of a train, along the Frame 12 so that they travel at a constant velocity and are maintained in abutting relationalong the straight portion of the path of travel.

The printer apparatus of FIG. 1 is a back printer generally of the type which is described in U. S. Pat. No. 3,241,480, which issued on Mar. 22, 1966, to James M. Cunningham, and in accordance with wellknown operational principles thereof 'a' Paper Document or Form 13 is positioned behind an Ink Ribbon 14 or the like, which in turn is positioned immediately adthereof. The Ribbon 14 may be fed in any suitable manner, and by way of example, is shown as fed transversely of the line of travel of the Type Elements 11. The Paper Document or Form 13 is also fed transversely to the direction of motion of the Type Elements 11. A lower Forms Guide 17 comprising Front and Back Plates 17a and 17b, Upper Forms Guides 18 and 18a, and Carriage Form Feed Tractor 19 having a Frame Structure 20 co-act to support and move the Paper Document or Form 13 in the proper line of travel for printing. Generally, printing occurs while the Paper Document 13 is stationary relative to the print line. On completion of a print cycle, the Document or Form 13 is advanced one or more spaces by the Carriage Tractor 19 to a position where a new line of data may be printed. The means for feeding the Paper Document or Form 13 in synchronism with operation of the print mechanism is well-known in the art and may include Feed Rolls 22 associated with the Upper Form Guide 18 and a suitable drive motor (not shown).

In the printer apparatus of FIG. 1 the arrangement shown is for a back printer. This arrangement is merely used by way of example and not by way of limitation since the invention may be as readily with a front printer. As shown, printing occurs when the Paper of Form 13 and the Ribbon 14 are impacted against the type characters on the Type Elements 11. The impacting occurs at various print positions along the print line to eventually form a complete line of data. For this purpose, a Hammer Mechanism 24 including a plurality of pivotally supported print hammers represented by the Print Hammer 24a are mounted behind the Paper Document or Form 13. Print Hammers 240 are arranged to be uniformly spaced so that one hammer element occupies each print position along the print line, and the Hammers 24a are aligned in a single row parallel to the print line. Each Print Hammer 24a is a part of an individual hammer unit which comprises an electromagnet (not shown) and'a Push Rod Connector Element 30 for activating the Print Hammer 242 with'Bias Springs 32 which maintain the Hammer 24a out of contactwith the Paper Document or Form 13 when the electromagnet is de-energized. Each Hammer 24a is individually' operable and the operation of the various hammers 24a occurs selectively. at random positions along the print line in accordance with instructions from control means (not shown) which comprises a type tracking device and a co-acting storage device which indicates the particular data to be printed. Further details of a suitable control system may be more fully understood by reference to US. Pat. No.

.'2,993,437', of F. M. Demer and E. J. Grenchus, for a High Speed Printer which issued July 25, 1961.

Referring again to FIG. I, it will be seen that the printer mechanism comprises a plate-like Base or Frame Member 40. The Type Carrier or Cartridge is supported on the Frame Member 40' by means of one or more Side Plates 42 secured thereto in any suitable manner and projecting upwardly therefrom. Likewise, the Hammer Mechanism 24 may be supported by the Frame Member 40, being for example, connected thereto by means of one or more Side Plate' Members 44 which may be pivotally secured to the Frame 40 by rneans'of a Pivot Shaft 46 and one or more Stationary Pivot supports 48 secured to the Frame 40. The Form Feed Tractor 19 is likewise supported by means of the Support Plate 44 so that the Form Feed Tractor 19 together with the Hammer Mechanism 24 may be rotated in a counterclockwise direction about the Pivot Shaft 46 to separate the Hammer Mechanism 24 from the Type Cartridge or Type Carrier 10 for the purpose of loading'a Form 13 between the Type Carrier [0 and the Hammer Mechanism 24 for printing.

To facilitate feeding a continuous Form or Document 13 up through the Lower Form Guide 17 for starting it on the Form Feed Tractors 19, auxiliary feed rolls represented by the Feed Roll 50 may be mounted on the plate-like Frame Member 40 by means of a Shaft 52 and one or more L-shaped angle supports represented by the Support 54. A motor M may be operatively connected to the Feed Rolls 50 by means of Pulleys 51, 53 and a Belt 56 to provide for driving the Feed Rolls 50 in a counter-clockwise direction.

I Cooperative with the auxiliary Feed Rolls 50 are Idler Rolls 60 which may be movably supported on the platelike Frame Member 40 by means of a shaft 63 and slidable support plate 62 slidably disposed between Guides 64, secured to the Frame Member 40, and biased in the direction of the auxiliary Feed Rolls 50 by Hammer Mechanism 24 is in the closed or operating position as shown.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing, it will be seen that manual control means such as the Handle 86 may be pivotally supported on the plate-like Frame.

Member 40 foroperating the slidable Support 62 Plate against the bias of Spring 66 by means of a Connecting Rod or Shaft 85 to disengage the Idler Rolls 60 from the auxiliary Drive Rolls 50 when a sufficient amount of the Form 13 has been advanced, to thread the Form Feed Tractors 19.

Whenever the Hammer Mechanism 24 and Form Feed Tractors 19 are rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to the non-operating position to separate the Hammer Mechanism 24 from the Type Carrier 10, the Cam Support Plate will move as shown by the dotted outline in FIG. 3. The Cam Member 68 will'release the slidable Support Plate 62, which will then be biased by the Bias Spring 66 to move towards the left, bringing the Idler Rolls 60 into operating relation with the auxiliary Feed Rolls 50. A continuous Form 13 may thereupon be threaded up through the Lower Forms Guide 17 by the operator until it engagesthe auxiliary Feed Rolls 50 and Idler Rolls 60 which function to pull the Form 13 upwardly through Guide 19b so that the operator is free to use both hands in securing the continuous Form 13 in the proper relation to the Feed Pins 19a of the Form Feed Tractor 19 for feeding the Form 13 through the printer. When sufficient of the Form 13 has been advanced, the slidable Support Plate 62 may be moved to the right by operating the manual Control Lever Handle 86 mounted on the Frame'Member 40 by a Pivot 87 in a clockwise direction to terminate auxiliary feed of the Form 13. When the Hammer Mechanism 24 and Tractor 19 are returned in a clockwise direction about the Pivot Shaft 46 to the operating position shown in FIG. 1, the Cam Member 68 engages the inclined Cam Surface 82 of the Support Plate 62, urging it to the right to separate the Idler Rolls 60 from the Drive Rolls 50 thereby disabling the auxiliary form drive.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printer having a continuously movable type character bearing element and a print hammer mechanism with an input side and an output side associated therewith in operating relation for printing on driven set of auxiliary feed rolls on the input side of said print hammer mechanism and said type character bearing element and including a set of idler feed rolls carried by a slidable support having a cam surface,

means biasing said slidable support to move said'idler feed rolls into operating relation with said auxiliary feed rolls,

cam means secured to said pivotal support means to engage said cam surface and normally urge said auxiliary feed means comprising a continuously I 

1. In a printer having a continuously movable type character bearing element and a print hammer mechanism with an input side and an output side associated therewith in operating relation for printing on a continuous form positioned therebetween, stationary support means supporting said type character bearing element, pivotal support means supporting said hammer mechanism for relative movement between said print hammer mechanism and said type character bearing element to separate said print hammer mechanism and said type character bearing element from an operating position into a non-operating position for inserting a form therebetween, feed means on the output side of said print hammer mechanism and type character bearing element for advancing a form, and, auxiliary feed means comprising a continuously driven set of auxiliary feed rolls on the input side of said print hammer mechanism and said type character bearing element and including a set of idler feed rolls carried by a slidable support having a cam surface, means biasing said slidable support to move said idler feed rolls into operating relation with said auxiliary feed rolls, cam means secured to said pivotal support means to engage said cam surface and normally urge said slidable support away from said pivotal support means to move said idler feed rolls out of operating relation with said auxiliary feed rolls, said cam means being disengaged from said cam surface by separation of said type character bearing element and said print hammer mechanism to said non-operating position whereby said biasing means activates said auxiliary feed means to feed a continuous form to said feed means on the output side of said print hammer mechanism. 